Heat-regulating device for incubators



2 Sheets-Sheet 1,

(No Model.)

J. K. MESGHTER. HEAT REGULATING DEVICE POPwINGUBATORS.

No. 320.490. Patented June 23, 1885.

2 SheetsSheet 2,

Patented June 23, 1885.

11 IIiIIHHHHW J iii J. K. MESOHTER.

HEAT EEGULATING DEVICE FOR INOUBAT'ORS. No. 320,490.

"In I luun nnn (No Model.)

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N PETERS. Fm

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

JACOB K. MESOHTER, OF PHILADELPHIA, PENNSYLVANIA.

HEAT-REGULATING DEVICE FOR INCUBATORS.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 320,490, dated June 23,1885.

Application filed February 28, 1884.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, JACOB K. Museums. of the city and county of Philadelphia, and State of Pennsylvania, have invented an Improvement in Heat-Regulating Devices for Incubators, of which the following is a specificat-ion.

My invention has reference to incubators; and it consists in certain improvements whereby the temperature of the air within theincubator may be kept automatically under perfect control, being varied in accordance with the changes which occur in the surrounding atmosphere, and in many details of construction, all of which are fully set forth and claimed in the following specification, and shown in the accompanying drawings, which form part thereof.

The object of my invention is to provide an incubator with all the necessary apparatus whereby it shall be self-regulating in its ac tion and simple and durable in construction. By the proper automatic regulation of the temperature and hygrometric condition of the atmosphere within the incubator a maximum number of chickens can be hatched from a given number of eggs.

In the drawings, Figure 1 is a sectional elevation of an incubator on line 00 a" of Fig. 2, and embodies my improvements. Fig. 2 is a similar View on line 3 y of Fig. 1. Fig. 3 is a sectional elevation of the apparatus which automatically controls the temperature of the circulating hot water in accordance with the changes in temperature of the surrounding atmosphere. Fig. 4 is a perspective view of the lamp-burner and the regulating-valve adapted to be actuated by the apparatus shown in Fig. 3.

A is the hot-water circulator, and is furnished with hollow partitions Z), which form the chambers B B and B. The side walls, I), are supported from the horizontal walls or floors, and are further divided vertically into spaces b b and I), from the former of which apertures 0 open into the interior of the horizontal floors, and from the latter of which tubes 0 extend into the space of said horizontal floors, as shown in Fig. 4.

E is a tube opening into the bottom floor, I), from below, and connects with the heater E and boiler E The two pipes C in the space (N0 model.)

of the lower floor are united and terminate in apipe, E", which passes through pipe E and has an upwardly-turned nozzle, 6, in the heater E. The water is placed in the above apparatus by an open pipe, A.

E is a lamp, preferably iuclosed with a sheetmetal chimney, c, and is arranged under the boiler E and heats the circulating water, causing a circulation, as indicated by the an rows, the upwardly-turned nozzle 6 facilitating said circulation. This hot-water-circulating apparatus is iuclosed within a wooden case or covering, H, provided with one or more doors, H, preferably of glass, and said case forms on the bottom a chamber, J the ceiling of which is the bottom of circulator A, whereby it is kept warm. One end opens into the brooding-yard K, which may be of any desired size and shape, and is prefer. bly covered with earth. The two upper chambers, 13, are open on each side, and may have ventilatingtubes (Z opening into the atmosphere, to allow a proper circulation of air but the lower chamber, B, is closed on each side by hinged doors I, having their faces 15 covered with felt and kept closed by springs l", which are pressed upon by the doors H. Any other suitable fastening may be used, if desired. lVhile this lower compartment is comparatively tight, it may also be provided with ventilating-tubes d to carry off impure air.

D is a thermometer to indicate the temperature of the air in chambers B.

The heating-lam p E is provided witha cutoff valve, F, hinged at F and having a notch, f, so that when closed it still leaves a small part of the wide wick c exposed, as shown in Fig. 4. This valve F is normally kept thrown back by a weighted arm, 1, as shown in Fig. 3. It is also provided with an arm, F", having an aperture through its end for the reception of a guide-pin, f, secured to the weight Z", which, when it is allowed to rest on lever F, causes the valve to shut, as shown in Fig. 4. \Veight Z is hung by a chain, Z, to alever, L, pivoted at 1-, and carrying a bulb, G, having a long leg, 9, which extends to the fulcrum Z. This lever L and its bulb is counterbalanced by a segmental plate, L, and weight L, hung low and at or close to a vertical line through the fulcrum.

L is a weight-boxfinto which weights Z may be placed to adjust the counter-balance to a nicety.

E is a receptacle having an open top and secured within the heater E, as shown in Fig. 3, so as to be heated by the hot water of the ci reulating-boiler. This receptacle E is nearly filled with water which is practically of the same temperature as the water in heater E, and in this water is placed a U-shaped cylinder, G, having a wide and a narrow leg, the latter, 9, being connected by a rubber tube, with the leg g of the bulb G. Into the large leg G of the U shaped cylinder are first placed a few drops of ether or alcohol, or any spirit readily vaporized, to make the air within said leg G rare or of small density. After the spirit is vaporized by the heat of the water in receptacle E", mercury G is poured into the bulb G until the bulb is partly filled, the tension within the leg G supporting the column of mercury, as shown in Fig. 3. As the upper part of the leg G is exposed to the atmosphere, any changes in temperature will affect the density of the vapor and cause the mercury to either rise or fall, diminishing or increasing the quantity of mercury in bulb G, and consequently throwing the lever L out of balance. Taking the apparatus as shown in Fig. 3, if the air should become warmer, the mercury would rise in bulb G and cause the lever to tip,lowering the weight Z, and shutting down the valve F to the position shown in Fig. 4. It acts equally well for any internal changes in temperature of the incubator, for if the circulating water should become too hot the tension of the vapor in leg G will increase and the flame will be partly cut off, as before, or vice versa. The regulation is perfectly automatic, both for external and internal changes in temperature, and tends to keep the temperature of the chambers B and B always the same.

Instead of water any other heating-fluid may be used-as oil, glycerine, &e.and in place of an oil-lamp a gas-burner may be used to heat the circulating-boiler, and the valve F may control. the flow of gas.

Vhile I prefer the construction shown, it may be modified in various ways without departing from my invention.

M are the egg-trays,having slats m, covered wit-h canvas or other soft material, in. N are the eggs. 0 are evaporating-pans, and are provided with pads O. I? are wooden supports,having slot-s p, to support the pans O and trays H.

I am aware that mercury and ether have been used in various ways to control the heat of the ineubator-chamber; but these devices, as far as Ik now, have always been acted upon by the temperature within the incubator-chamber or its external heating medium only, and never by those in conjunction with the varying normal temperatures of the external atmosphere.

In this application I do not claim the details of construction of the hatching-chamber and the yard, and the means for supporting and handling the eggs, as those matters will form subject-matter of another application.

Having now described my invention, what I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is

1. I11 an incubator, the combination of a hotwater-circulating boiler, a burner to heat said boiler, a valve to control the size of the flame from said burner, and a regulator, automatically operated by the varying changes in temperature of the atmosphere exterior to the incubator, to control said valve, substantially as and for the purpose specified.

2. In an incubator, the combination of a hotwater-eirculating boiler, a burner to heat said boiler, a valve to control the size of the flame from said burner, and a regulator, automatically operated by the varying changes in temperature of the atmosphere exterior to the ineubator, and also directly by the water in said boiler, to control said valve, substantially as and for the purpose specified.

8. In an incubator, the combination of a hotwater-eireulating boiler, a burner to heat said boiler, a valve to control the size of the flame from said burner, and a regulator, automatic ally operated by the varying changes in temperature of the atmosphere exterior to the incubator, to control said valve, said regulator consisting of a balanced lever, a column of mercury, a rarefied atmosphere supporting said mercury, and a receptacle to contain said mercury and rarefied atmosphere supported in water of the temperature of that in the circulating-boiler, substantially as and for the purpose specified.

4. In an incubator, the combination ofa hot water-circulating boiler, a burner to heat said boiler, a valve to control the size of the flame from said burner, and a regulator, automatically operated by the varying changes in joint temperatures of the atmosphere exterior to the incubator and water in said boiler, to control said valve, said regulator consisting of a balanced lever, a column of mercury, a rarefied atmosphere supporting said mercury, and a receptacle to contain said mercury and rarefied atmosphere supported in water of the temperature of that in the circulating-boiler, substantially as and for the purpose specified.

5. In an incubator, a regulator to control the temperature, consisting of hot-water receptacle E", supported in and surrounded by the water in the hot-water eirculator of the incubator, U-shaped vessel having legs G mereury G, a rarefied atmosphere in leg G above the mercury, and exposed to the atmosphere, a burner to keep the water warm, a valve to control the flame of said burner, and devices, controlled by the height of the column of mercury, to automatically actuate said burner-- valve, substantially as and for the purpose specified.

6. In an incubator, a regulator to control the temperature, consisting of hot-water receptacle E, U-shaped vessel having legs G mercury G a rarefied atmosphere in leg G above the mercury, lever L, bulb G, tube 9', a burner to keep the water warm, a valve, F, to control the flame of said burner, and connecting mechanism by which said lever L operates said valve F, substantially as and for the purpose specified.

7. In an incubator, a regulator to control the temperature, consisting of hot-water receptacle E U shaped vessel having legs G g, mercury G a rarefied atmosphere in leg G above the mercury, lever L, bulb G, tube g", a burner to keep the water warm, a valve, F, to control the flame of said burner, and connecting mechanism by which said lever L operates said valve F, consisting of chain Z, weights Z f, and arm F substantially as and for the purpose specified.

In testimony of which invention I hereunto set my hand.

JACOB K. MESOHTER.

Witnesses: 1 WILLIAM S. MoWADE, FRANCIS S. BROWN. 

